


Into The Unknown

by nowjkjkjklololol



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-06
Updated: 2019-11-24
Packaged: 2021-01-24 10:36:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,153
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21336868
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nowjkjkjklololol/pseuds/nowjkjkjklololol
Summary: Roxas is hearing voices. Well...one voice. Is he going crazy? He sure thinks so. And what does it mean when he realizes that he can talk back?
Relationships: Axel & Roxas (Kingdom Hearts), Hayner/Roxas (Kingdom Hearts), Olette/Pence (Kingdom Hearts)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 21





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Soooo those of you who follow the comment sections of my other works would have seen me talking about this idea on Got It Memorized. I was struck by this after listening to the Panic! at The Disco song that just dropped from the Frozen 2 soundtrack. Obviously I don’t know how the story will go; this fic is based purely off the lyric/mood of the song. Check it out here if you want: 
> 
> https://youtu.be/wcmHucRKTnI
> 
> Also, thank you to the wonderful CatzRko0L who is reading this for me ❤️🙏
> 
> Hope y’all enjoy! 🥰

Roxas first heard the voice on the most boring, normal, mundane Wednesday afternoon. His classes had ended but his boyfriend wasn’t going to be home from work until after dinner, so Roxas had gone to his usual place to kill time; a local coffee shop across from campus that he frequently camped out at. He had just pushed the door open and was lugging his overpacked bag into the shop when he heard it. 

_ There he is. _

Roxas was certain he’d never heard the voice before in his life; he was going to remember the rich, warm timbre of it flowing smooth as silk through him for as long as he lived. He whipped his head around, then to the other side, but no one was close enough to have said it to him. It was as if the sound were so close it bypassed his ear entirely and just began resonating directly inside his head. 

_Where have you been, gorgeous. It’s been a while. _

Another patron walked up behind him, still standing halfway through the door, and Roxas shook his head to clear it as he continued on through and got in line for the register. Must have been one of those weird things where he was standing in exactly the right place to overhear someone else’s conversation from across the shop. He waited, wondering vaguely if he was going to switch it up today or just get his usual, when the voice chose for him. 

_Large vanilla chai tea latte. You go add cinnamon at the condiment bar. _

Was he...was he hearing voices? Had he finally lost it and snapped? The girl behind the counter was staring at him expectantly, and he’d totally missed what she had said; he could guess, though. 

“Um, a large vanilla chai tea latte?” he asked, and a delicious laugh sounded in his head. Roxas winced, paying quickly and retreating to wait for his name to be called. Was it stress that had brought this on? He had school, and an internship, and a live-in boyfriend he was having some strain with, but nothing was any different than it had been for the past few years. He hadn’t obtained an injury, taken any drugs...could someone have drugged him without him knowing about it? Roxas was so lost in thought, it took the poor barista several tries before the short blonde heard him and retrieved his beverage, stopping to add his customary cinnamon. He found a spot and settled in, but instead of taking out his work, he dug out headphones and put the earbuds into place quickly. He would drown the voice out. Roxas queued up his ‘pissed off’ playlist full of loud, angry music and cranked the volume. After a few songs in peace, he decided he would try to get some work done, but it was not to be. As soon as he began pulling out his things, the voice returned. 

_Don’t you get tired of all the work? _

Roxas couldn’t take it anymore. A strangled sound died in his throat as he hastily ripped the useless headphones from his ears and stuffed his things into his bag. He wasn’t hearing a voice. That would make him crazy. He would just go home, take a nice long shower, and go to bed early. Sure, Hayner would probably be pissed, especially since Olette and Pence were supposed to come over to chill, but Roxas couldn’t stand it anymore. He snatched up his cup and fled, trying desperately to pretend he didn’t hear the voice’s parting words. 

_Well, that was fast. I’ll see you around, Blondie._

——- 

He got home and slammed the door behind him like he were being chased. The apartment was empty and quiet, and Roxas wanted to crawl out of his skin. There was so much silence here lately it was sickening. His relationship with Hayner was...okay at best and had been progressively worsening as time went on. They’d gotten together out of convenience; the only two gay men in their circle of friends, constantly around one another- it had just made sense, at the time. But as months turned into years, Roxas was learning both that he and Hayner seemed to be entirely incompatible and that both of them were too stubborn to be the one to end things. It led to Hayner avoiding home and picking up later shifts at work, and Roxas growing more and more resentful over the fact. Right now, he was grateful for the other blonde’s absence; he wasn’t about to admit hearing the voice to someone, and he wasn’t sure he could keep it to himself with as panicky as it made him feel. 

Roxas dropped his bag right inside the doorway despite knowing Hayner would give him shit for it and headed straight for their bathroom, ready to get in the shower. He relaxed under the pounding water, feeling hopeful that the voice hadn’t returned, and finally got out just in time to hear their front door slam shut. Great. He could look forward to another fight before bed. He emerged, still toweling off, to find Hayner standing in the hallway with his arms crossed. 

“Rox, the place is trashed and the guys’ll be here soon. I sorta figured you’d at least tidy up a little bit before I got home.” Roxas just shrugged past his boyfriend, ignoring the admonishment in favor of trying to get into bed. Hayner wasn’t going to let it go, though, it seemed. “Seriously? What the fuck is your problem now?” his boyfriend snarled, following him to the bedroom and glaring as Roxas pulled on some ratty sweatpants and a tee shirt. The shorter man rolled his eyes as he turned to face the irritated Hayner. 

“Look, I’m having a fucking awful afternoon, stop giving me shit and let me go to bed.” Hayner huffed, curling his lip disdainfully as Roxas dropped down onto their mattress. 

“We’ve had plans for like a fucking week. I’m not canceling just so you can sleep all afternoon,” he informed Roxas before leaving with a slam of the door that shook their thin walls. Asshole. Roxas shut his eyes, but quickly groaned and slammed a pillow over his face as loud music pettily began thumping from their living room. Roxas had grown used to drowning out music, though, and quickly let himself sink into sleep. 

————— 

It was two more days of glorious, comforting silence before the voice returned. Roxas had written off the first time as exhaustion and stress, and was erroneously convinced that it had been a one-time thing...until he left his last class on Friday afternoon. 

Fridays were his late day, and he wasn’t heading out the doors to freedom until almost five thirty. He had just put headphones in and was somewhat optimistically headed home to what was supposed to be an empty apartment when there is was, like velvet inside his head. 

_Ooh, I didn’t know YOU had a class in this building. _

Again, Roxas found himself looking around frantically before he forced himself to look down at the ground in front of him. It had been gone! Why was it back? Was that how mental illnesses worked; they came and went periodically? He didn’t THINK that was how it was supposed to work...but there it was, purring seductively into his very soul. 

_I don’t know how anyone could pay attention in a class with you in it, you look good enough to eat. Mmm. _

Were voices in your head supposed to hit on you? Did that make him EXTRA crazy? Roxas was walking faster, anxiety skyrocketing, and people around him were starting to give him weird looks. 

_Always in such a hurry, aren’t you? _

He was almost past what could be considered power walking, now desperate to hole himself up and hide from the rest of the world. What was WRONG with him? 

_What’s that saying? ‘Hate to see you go, but love to watch you leave.’_

He was NOT hearing voices. It was stress, or anxiety, or lack of sleep, or- Roxas was running out of excuses to give himself. Should he go to a doctor? The voice remained quiet after that, but now Roxas was paranoid it would come back at any time. Briefly, he considered talking to Hayner about it, but...he wouldn’t be able to give the support Roxas needed. Maybe Olette? He shook his head to clear his mind as he reached his door, and pushed his way inside to find the apartment less empty than he had been prepared for. 

“Oh, uh, hey Rox,” Hayner mumbled, eyes wide as if he was surprised to see his boyfriend home. Roxas shared his sentiment; wasn’t Hayner supposed to be working? He felt anger bubble up, hot and quick. Here he was having a mental breakdown and his boyfriend was secretly playing hooky without even bothering to text. Were they even friends anymore? He let his things drop to the floor and walked past the taller blonde into the kitchen. He was so close to melting down, he knew any effort to talk to Hayner would just result in a shouting match, so he kept his mouth shut as he grabbed a beer out of the fridge and began to head to their room. Fuck Hayner. Fuck the voice. He would get drunk by himself and pass out early again. It seemed like sleep helped last time. He strolled back and took a deep swig, nearly running into his boyfriend who had followed him halfway and was waiting in the doorframe. “Why don’t you get me one and I’ll kick your ass in a game or something? I noped out of work today,” he said, looking at least slightly chagrined, and Roxas sighed. Any other day, he might’ve jumped on this opportunity to act like the pair they used to be, but...not today. 

“I’ll let you win next time, I’ve got a headache,” Roxas mumbled, edging around Hayner and through the doorway. The other blonde’s face fell slightly, but then he shrugged. 

“Yeah, okay. I might go out, then. Olette and Pence have been going to this place-“ he began, but Roxas cut him off before sweeping off down the short hallway. 

“Gotcha. Have fun, Hayner. Tell me about it tomorrow.” Once he’d made it to the solitude of their bedroom, Roxas slumped down onto the bed, chugging the remainder of his beer and thinking about the voice. It had been two days since last time; how long would he get this time? Bottle now empty, he set it down on the bedside table and fell back onto his pillow, letting sleep claim him almost instantly. 

————— 

He heard it again the next afternoon at the coffee shop again. 

_Looks like you’ve had a rough day, cutie._

The night after that, he’d gone out to a bar to try to drown himself in alcohol. 

_Mmm, the things I’d do to you if I could take you home._

It was coming to him more and more frequently, and he began to notice something odd; sometimes, the voice seemed to be talking to him, while other times it seemed to be about him instead. 

_I wonder what his major is. It would be so much easier to run into him if I knew where he had classes._

_There you are. I was wondering when you’d be back._

_Who knew someone could pull off checkerboard like that?_

Roxas tried to ignore it. He tried to pretend he didn’t hear it, but he lost his place in conversation frequently. He tried to stop looking around for a speaker whenever that voice rolled through his head like a seductive whisper. It was getting more difficult with each passing day, and Roxas constantly felt on edge. People close to him were starting to notice, too. 

“What’s been up with you lately, Roxas?” Olette had asked him one evening when the whole gang was hanging out at a local bar. It had always been the four of them; he and Hayner, Olette and Pence. Inseparable since elementary school. Roxas shrugged, looking away. Olette had called his name three times before he’d heard her over the sound of the voice wondering what he was up to. She looked at him with concern, laying a hand on his forearm, but Hayner jumped in. 

“He’s just the same old space case as usual,” his boyfriend laughed, reaching over him for another beer. Olette shook her head but removed her hand to slide it into Pence’s. 

“Hayner, you’re such a doof sometimes,” she teased lightly, pushing Roxas gently. “I don’t know how our poor Roxas puts up with you.” Everyone chuckled at that except Roxas, who had lost his focus again. 

_Look at that sunset. Thats exactly the same color blue as his eyes._

Roxas couldn’t stand another second of this. 

“Hey, I’m gonna take a walk, clear my head. If y’all move to a different bar, text me.” He stood up, feeling all eyes on him as he scooted out of their booth and exited the bar quickly, nearly gasping for air when he stepped out into the cool evening breeze. He was going crazy. He couldn’t live like this anymore. When the voice chimed in, he lost it. 

_I wonder if- _

_GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY HEAD! _Roxas clutched at the hair at the sides of his head as he screamed the thought as loud as he could, finally drowning out the voice. He stumbled forward, farther down the street to a public bench that he immediately sank down onto. He was nearly sobbing with frustration, but the voice had gone blessedly silent for a few moments. Then, everything in his life turned upside down. 

_Can you- can you hear me?!_


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to my wonderful reader CatzRko0L who stayed up late so I could post this ❤️🙏🥰

_This isn’t happening._ Roxas thought the words as hard as he could, unsure of how he’d managed to interact with the voice in the first place. 

_How much have you been able to hear? _ The usually sultry purr of the voice was replaced with hesitancy and caution. Roxas groaned, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. 

_This isn’t real. I’m going to continue to ignore the voice, and it will stop. _ Roxas thought this firmly, as if telling the voice it didn’t exist might make it go away. A derisive snort rolled through his head. 

_I’m very real, _ the voice insisted, and then continued, laced with pity. _Oh, you poor thing. Have you been thinking you were going crazy? _

_I am going crazy, _Roxas thought harshly, digging the heels of his hands into his eyes and rubbing them hard. _The voice in my head is trying to reassure me. I think it’s time I go get help. _

_Awh, don’t do that. I’d miss you._ There was a laugh behind the words, as if they found this all funny, and Roxas sighed. He would play along. If he was already talking to the voice in his head, he might as well go all the way. 

_What- who are you? _ There was a long pause, and Roxas wondered if he’d even managed to get his message across; he didn’t know how this all worked. 

_I think, _ the voice was hesitant, as if considering the words before they came out, _that for now, especially given that I don’t know how much you’ve overheard, it would be best you don’t know. I am a person, though, if that makes you feel better. _ Wow, that was a shitty excuse even for a voice in his head. 

_Uh-huh. Right. I’m not very creative, now am I? _  
The thought was dripping bitter skepticism, and he hoped the tone would carry.

_No really, I can prove it. Um, give me your address. I’ll order you a pizza. It’s the least I can do._ Roxas was even more doubtful of this idea. If the voice WAS real (which it wasn’t), then this person probably knew far more about Roxas already than he would be happy about. 

_No way. Besides, I’m not even there, we’re out at the bars. _ The voice perked up at that, answering excitedly. 

_Even better. Tell me the bar. I’ll call up and buy you a drink. _ Roxas rolled his eyes. This was ridiculous. He was crazy. 

_Will you promise to leave me alone at LEAST for the rest of the night if I do? People are starting to think something’s wrong with me, _ he grumbled, leaning back and crossing his arms. It was worth a shot. The voice paused, presumably considering. 

_I don’t really know how this works, so no promises, but...I’ll try? _ Roxas was somewhat surprised to have been met with agreement, but nodded to himself. _What’s your drink?_

_We’re at The Gummy Garage. Get me a shot, your call what. _ A beautifully mischievous laugh sounded in his head, and the voice was back. 

_What’s your name? _ it asked. _So I can tell the bartender._

_Roxas,_ the blonde thought grudgingly, and the voice hummed back once more before falling silent. 

_You got it, gorgeous. Have a good night._

Roxas stood, rubbing the back of his head anxiously. Talking to the voices in your head was a SURE sign of being crazy, he knew that. There was no way it could be anything else. This was real life, for fuck’s sake, not some sci-fi fantasy magic bullshit. He’d head back to the bar, make a fool of himself, and then spend the rest of the night with his friends before calling a shrink or something in the morning. He trudged back, dragging his feet as he went to get confirmation that he had lost it, and went straight to the bar. He waited for the bartender to be free, not really wanting it to be his turn, but all too soon it was. The man caught sight of him and headed over, a small smirk on his face. 

“You Roxas?” the bartender asked gruffly, wiping down the counter as he waited for the blonde to reply. Eyes popping wide, he nodded dumbly, and the man reached under the bar top to pull out two shot glasses, one filled with a light brown, clear liquid and the other was a layered drink topped with whipped cream. He set them in front of Roxas, rolled his eyes, and then spoke again. “He said to tell you the following; this one,” he indicated the brown liquid, “is a Fireball like him. This one,” he pointed out the one with whipped cream, “is a Blow Job. He said take your pick, or have both, whichever you want.” The man turned to leave, but Roxas got over his dismay quickly enough to call out. 

“Wait, excuse me. Did he say his name, by any chance?” The man looked back over his shoulder, only partially turning back towards the blonde. 

“No chance, kid. The guy tipped me fifty bucks to give you the shots, give you the message, and to NOT tell you his name. Sorry.” Then Roxas was alone, staring down the two shot glasses. He picked up the first, staring through it, consumed in thought. The voice was real? He threw back the drink, alcohol burning warmly as it went down. He picked up the other one, a strange feeling curling in the pit of his stomach. And they were...flirting with him? The second shot went down much smoother and sweeter than the first, and as he was licking the cream from his lip, he couldn’t help but wonder what the fuck had happened to his life. 

————— 

_Are you awake yet? _

The voice was the first thing he heard the next morning, coming through like a stage whisper. He groaned quietly, rolling over in bed and trying to go back to sleep. 

_No. Go away. _ His movement caused Hayner to stir, and his boyfriend muttered and threw an arm over Roxas. For some reason, the weight felt oppressive rather than comfortable, and it got under his skin. The voice was also decidedly not helping, as it had ignored his command. 

_Do you accept that I’m real now? _ it questioned smugly, and Roxas snarled back wordlessly. He tried to close his eyes, but...now he was awake. 

_If you’ve got a body out there somewhere, _ he began darkly, carefully scooting out from under Hayner’s arm and off the bed, _I’m going to find it just so I can punch you. _ Rich, warm laughter flooded his mind, the sound of which was so unfairly attractive that it completely took the anger out of him. 

_Oh, that I do, baby, _ the voice said lowly, seductively. Roxas shook his head as he padded to the kitchen to start some coffee going; it was too early for shit like that. 

_You do know I’m seeing someone, don’t you? Since you’re spying on my brain or whatever,_ he thought acidicly, getting their coffee maker started. The voice came across in intelligible grumbles for a moment. 

_That’s disappointing,_ it finally murmured, but then seemed to brighten back up, _but I’m not afraid of a little competition. You’re gonna fall for me. _ The voice was smugly confident, as if the outcome he desired were assured. Roxas internally huffed, giving a huge eye roll that the voice would unfortunately miss. 

_Whatever you say, _ he bit back sarcastically, scooping up the now-brewed coffee and carrying it over to the living room. He sat down on the couch, rubbing at his eyes tiredly. _It’s not like things are going great over here anyways. _ Roxas’s eyes shot open; he hadn’t meant to admit that. 

_Then get out, sweetheart. If they aren’t treating you like a fucking treasure, they’re crazy and you should ditch ‘em. Even if they are, I’ll treat you better. _ Roxas leaned back, sipping his coffee. What bullshit. 

_You won’t even tell me who you are, don’t pull that crap, _ he snapped back at the voice. _You don’t know anything about me._

_Oh, how I want to, though, _ the voice lamented at him. Then it commanded, _Tell me something._

_What?_ What was that supposed to mean? The voice chuckled. 

_Tell me something about yourself. _ Then, as an afterthought, it added, _Please._ Roxas took a deep drink from his coffee, savoring the dark beverage as he thought. Should he? He had no idea why this was happening or who this person was; should he be giving them more information? But...what could something unimportant hurt? The voice had bought him drinks, after all. And had been hitting on him relentlessly. He wasn’t going to reciprocate, but...maybe he could give in on this point. 

_My favorite thing to eat is sea salt ice cream,_ he finally thought, picturing the delicious treat that he had grown up eating fondly. 

_Oh shit, that’s new, _ the voice gasped in wonder, leaving Roxas confused for a second before clarifying. _That looked fucking delicious._

_You could see that?! _ Roxas demanded sharply, almost fearful of the idea. The voice could see inside his head? That could become...embarrassing. Quickly. The voice hummed thoughtfully. 

_I don’t know what you did differently, but yeah. It’s the first time that’s happened, though. Don’t worry. _ Roxas grumbled to himself, still not sure how he felt about that, but then a sleepy, haggard-looking Hayner stumbled out into the hall, and Roxas ended his ‘conversation’ with the voice in his head as his boyfriend headed towards the kitchen. 

“Morning, Rox. There enough coffee left for me?” 

————— 

The voice became nearly a constant presence after that, and it was strange. As days went on, they both started to figure out how to interact more easily, and Roxas figured out how to intentionally let it see things he was thinking about or looking at. It was like...there was a thin wall between them, with a large window. He couldn’t close the window and keep the voice out entirely, but he could choose what was in front of the window to be heard or seen by the other. That was when things began to change between them. 

The voice had flirted relentlessly, but also took an interest in the things Roxas thought about and enjoyed. It asked thoughtful questions, shared ideas, even helped with some of his stupid literature homework once as it turned out they were an English major. He started to...enjoy the companionship, the attention, the unexpected affection. It had been a long, long time since he’d felt like this; even at their best, he and Hayner had never been like this. The voice tried not to give Roxas much specific information about themselves, but the blonde had started keeping track of what he did know; they were male, obviously, and getting their degree to become an English professor. That he liked red and had tattoos and smoked cigarettes and pot. That he had a younger sister just like Roxas and was a voracious reader of any and all books. 

Then, one night, mistakes were made that shifted the close camaraderie they shared to something different. It was a Saturday night, and a brutally cold evening combined with poor decision making had driven Roxas and his friends into getting super drunk earlier in the evening and separating to go back home before eleven. Hayner had been angry about something, and had gone straight to bed. So great was his drunken rage that when Roxas tried to follow him about ten minutes after he’d left, the shorter blonde was met with a pillow and blanket in the hallway and a locked door. That was how Roxas wound up drunk off his ass, tossing and turning on their definitely-not-for-sleeping-on couch, when that voice slid smoothly into his subconscious. 

_Hey, how you holding up, cutie? _ he questioned cheerfully. Roxas had already told him what they were doing and how drunk they were getting, and the voice had remained thoughtfully silent so he could enjoy being out with people uninhibited. Roxas groaned loudly in his head, twisting himself to switch sides he was laying on. A sexy little laugh filled his head. _That good, huh?_

_Everything sucks,_ Roxas growled, staring angrily at the coffee table in front of him. Coffee tables? He could see two of them. _Going out sucks and Hayner sucks and I can’t sleep._

_Hayner? That the asshole boyfriend? _ the voice asked, sounding...funny. Roxas couldn’t place it in his inebriated state, but...it made his stomach churn. Or maybe that was just the rum. 

_That’s the one. Fucking kicked me to the couch,_ Roxas whined, switching sides with great difficulty to glare at the tightly woven fibers of the cushions. _Apparently, I don’t agree with him enough. _ The tone Roxas couldn’t name was back with even more clarity than before. 

_What a fucking dickwad. He could take you to bed every night and he throws you out over a drunken argument? _ Roxas could hear fire burning behind the words, and then it clicked; jealousy. The voice was...jealous? 

_I’d rather be out here than in there right now, honestly, _ Roxas thought softly, still considering his realization. Were they really serious about all the flirting? Roxas had always thought the voice was being lighthearted, teasing with it, but...jealous? 

_I’d rather you be here than there right now, honestly, _ the voice shot back, and Roxas felt a shiver roll through him. He was lonely, he was drunk; he was not going to do this. 

_Why would being there be any better than being here?_ The thought left him with a suggestive purr; maybe he was going to do this. The voice hummed thoughtfully, needing no further encouragement. 

_Well for starters, you wouldn’t be stuck on some stupid couch, you’d be in a nice, big, soft bed. _ Roxas let out a small whine at the thought as he maneuvered himself back to the opposite side again. _You’d have a mountain of pillows and blankets to cuddle up with. And you wanna hear the best part?_

_What’s that? _ Roxas thought, biting his lip at the thought already painted in his mind. The voice was a seductive whisper, immediately shifting the direction of his fantasy. 

_I’d be there, stretched out next to you, ready to attend to each and every one of your heart’s desires. _ Roxas felt all the blood leave his body on a journey to lower regions at the words. A faceless figure with the voice of a fallen angel was stretched out on the bed in his mind, naked beside him. _Nah, you got me all wrong, sweetheart. Let me see if I can-_ The picture in his mind blurred, shifted, and when it came back...Roxas’s cock rose to attention at the sight of the tall, thin yet wonderfully defined, flawlessly pale man sprawled out beside him. The face, though...Roxas found he couldn’t look at it. His eyes rolled away from it onto broad shoulders or sharp hips, and he first thought it was due to the sheer physical attraction he felt, but the more he tried the harder it became until- _You can’t, Roxy. I didn’t put my face in there. _ The blonde pouted. 

_You’re not off to a very good start_, he huffed, ignoring his tented pajama pants. The voice hummed, deep and rough. 

_But you haven’t even asked me what I’d be doing, _ the voice protested, and Roxas felt his heartbeat pick up with anticipation. In the picture he held firmly in his mind, he rolled to face the taller man. 

_Oh? _ Roxas teased, imagining tracing a fingertip from the figure’s shoulder, down to his elbow and then wrist. _What exactly do you imagine you’d be doing? _ The voice groaned, and the figure in his imagination followed the words that were filling his head. 

_I’d finally get my hands on your body like I’ve wanted to since I first saw you. I’d want to memorize how every single part of you feels under my fingertips. _ The figure was running long fingers over him with slow deliberateness, and Roxas let his hand drift below his waistband when the tall form felt over his erect penis with the same attention. 

_Sounds nice, _ Roxas thought in a breathless murmur, _but not nice enough to leave, even for pretend. It’s cold outside. And I still don’t even know your name, we’ve never met. You’re gonna have to do something pretty awesome to change my mind. _ His figure on the bed put a fingertip to his chin as if in thought. 

_But Roxas, _ the voice complained, a hint of a smirk in the way the syllables were stretched, _ we haven’t even gotten to the part where I kiss you. _ Roxas licked his lips, hand wrapping loosely around his length and giving a few easy passes over it. In his mind, the man was suddenly gripping his chin gently but firmly, tilting his face upwards. Roxas could focus on slightly parted lips and a sharp chin and a delicate neck suddenly, as if the voice had filled in a bit more of his likeness. _I’d taste you, possess you, have you panting and breathless before I’d let you go._ His figure did just that, and Roxas let out a whimper as his dick pulsed in his grip. He quickened the pace of his hand and the tightness of his hold and was breathlessly panting within moments, just like the voice wanted. 

_Still, though, _ he managed to think. _It’s cold. And I don’t know you. _ A predatory hunger filled the voice, and Roxas jerked himself harder. 

_I have other places I wanna kiss, though, _ the voice moaned, and his form moved lower down the bed. _I’d want to get my mouth on that delicious dick you’ve got there. I’d kiss...then I’d lick...and taste, and then- _ Roxas was pounding himself into his hand as the image of lips teasing, a tongue darting out to lick, a gloriously tight and wet mouth closing over him filled his head. A choked-off moan escaped him as pressure coiled tightly in his groin, and the voice sounded a little breathless as well when it purred into his head, _Are you touching yourself, Roxas? Tell me you’re fucking yourself thinking about me. _ The words ignited something deep within him, and he wanted to obey, but- 

_Name,_ he gasped stubbornly even as he felt muscles begin to tense and the figure in his mind pulled off of him, leaving a thin trail of saliva connecting the head of his penis and those slightly swollen lips. _You...won’t even tell me...your name._

_I wouldn’t stop there, _ the voice rumbled, ignoring his desperate attempt. _How could I? I’d flip you over and push yourself face down into the pillows, get behind you and stretch you with my fingers so you could take me. Tell me you want me, Roxy. _ The blonde was so, so close, desperately pumping himself as the figures in his mind acted out the fantasy for him, and he let out a desperate mewl as his back arched. 

_I want you, please, _ he begged, and his breath caught as his orgasm drew closer and closer. 

_Then I’d fuck you, hard and fast and just rough enough to have you scream for me as I pound into your tight, hot ass. Cum for me, baby _. Roxas couldn’t do anything but obey the demand, a loud, long sound escaping him as he fell over the edge and into wave after wave of pleasure. He was immediately exhausted, overwhelmed by lethargy, and his heavy eyelids began to blink closed. As he rolled onto his side again, futilely trying to get more comfortable, the voice floated through his head once more before he slipped into unconsciousness. 

_The name’s Axel. Got it memorized?_


	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for your patience, me and my entire family all got sick at once and it’s been terrible. 😔
> 
> And thanks to CatzRko0Lfor reading right away despite my extended absence ❤️🙏

Roxas woke with a pounding in his head, instantly worsened by the sound of Hayner’s stupid, irritating voice as he walked through the living room, having a loud conversation on his phone. 

“Yeah man, we definitely should! Sign us up. We’ll kick everyone’s ass.” Hayner’s laugh grated harshly against Roxas’s sensitive ears, and he grimaced, pulling the pillow from behind his head and slamming it down over his face, but it didn’t help- his boyfriend’s voice cut through the material easily. “Right, right, sure. Well what are you doing today? I’m off, it’s Sunday, and it’s too fucking cold to go out. Wanna come over and chill for a while?” Roxas lifted a corner of the pillow to shoot a glare towards the taller blonde, but Hayner had already drifted off towards the kitchen, making plans now. Fuck. The petite man sat up grudgingly, head hammering to a sickening beat, and slowly remembered; he was on the couch because he and Hayner had another drunken fight, and then he’d...oh. Fuuuck. But...did he remember correctly? Had he actually gotten the voice- Axel, to tell him his name? His head hurt too much to think about any of it, but... 

_Axel? _he thought tentatively, almost afraid of what response he would receive, but he needn’t have worried. 

_Mmm, babe, no. Ten more minutes. _ The thought was faint, fuzzy, but it was there and didn’t sound upset. And...it was strange, but for a second he felt like he himself were sleepily laying in bed, sprawled out, trying to ignore a sweetly calling voice...the feeling was gone as quickly as it had come, and Roxas was still sitting on his couch with a brutal headache. Hayner said his goodbyes and then strolled over to stand in front of Roxas, crossing his arms over his chest. 

“We gonna talk about how much of a fucking dick you were last night?” the taller blonde asked, looking down his nose at Roxas, which only served to further piss off the shorter man. 

“You mean how much of a dick YOU were?” Roxas growled, indicating his position on their couch. Hayner scoffed at him, dismissing his complaint. 

“You deserved it. Why can’t we get along anymore?” The question was sharp, and Roxas had no answer; he just glared up at the man he shared his home with. Hayner turned away coolly, walking over to their TV and powering up their console. “Whatever, Roxas. Seifer’s gonna roll by for a while, he’s bringing some weed and we’re gonna play some games. Are you just gonna fuck off again, or are you gonna stick around?” He asked like he couldn’t be bothered to care about Roxas’s answer either way, but the tense set of his shoulders spoke volumes. Pretty much the last thing in the world that he wanted to do was to hang out with Hayner and his fucking awful friend, with whom Roxas had NEVER gotten along, but weed sounded kinda nice and he felt intensely guilty about what he’d done with Axel the night prior. He sighed and stood, deciding to go dig up some aspirin before having to get ready for company. 

“I’ll stick around for a while,” he murmured, the closest thing to an apology he was going to give, and headed to their room to get dressed. 

——— 

_Talk to me, Roxy. Please,_ Axel beseeched in his head, and he sighed out loud. Hayner’s stupid friend had come and they were all passing his tiny pipe around while Hayner and Seifer told increasingly ridiculous stories about things they’d done to try to one-up each other. Roxas wasn’t participating, but he was asked for input enough that it would be noticeable if he just ignored them. Axel had clearly woken up just a bit ago, and had been desperately trying to get Roxas’s attention since Roxas felt the first touch of his consciousness._ Pleeease, Roxas. Don’t be mad at me. _Roxas snorted internally, giving in to the man. 

_I’m not mad, I’m busy. We’ve got someone over, _he grumbled at Axel, and the weird thing that had happened that morning occurred again; relief flooded through Roxas at his own words, gone as quickly as it had come. The blonde shook himself, refocusing enough to notice Hayner holding the pipe out to him expectantly. 

“Sorry,” he muttered, taking the piece and lighting it up. Hayner shrugged, looking back at Seifer. 

“So when IS the tournament?” Hayner asked Seifer, looking excited. “It’s been a long time since we did a Struggle competition.” 

_Awh, you can’t see it, but I’m giving you the biggest puppy dog face ever over here. It’s not like you gotta leave to talk to me, _Axel kept at it, and Roxas had little in the way of argument; he hadn’t been into Struggle since he was a kid. He rolled his eyes. 

_Yeah, but you’re distracting, _Roxas fired back, more gently this time. Axel could clearly smell victory from his tone. 

_I’m the best kind of distracting,_ he purred, and Roxas felt his face heat up. 

_Gimme a break, I’m sitting here with Hayner and his friend, _the blonde thought in a groan. Why didn’t he seem to be able to control himself when it came to that unfairly attractive voice? 

_Ditch ‘em. Better yet, dump him and ditch ‘em, _Axel encouraged, and Roxas shook his head, belatedly realizing he’d actually preformed the action and feeling suddenly grateful Hayner and Seifer were too involved in each other to take notice. They were both leaned in towards each other, excitement lighting both faces as they discussed different Struggle techniques. If Roxas didn’t know any better...Apparently, he was focusing on the sight harder than he’d thought, because Axel chimed in, adding to the thoughts running through his head. _My, don’t those two look...chummy._

_Shut up, _Roxas hissed, glowering at the pair before him who were thoroughly ignoring his presence. _ You don’t know what you’re talking about._

_Not as ‘chummy’ as we were last night, I suppose, _Axel continued, pretending not to hear the blonde. _But wayyy more friendly than-_

_SHUT UP! _ Roxas sent the venomous thought as harshly as he could while he stood up suddenly, surprising Hayner and Seifer who both turned to look at him. 

“I’m going out,” he seethed, turning and stomping away before his idiot boyfriend could start asking questions that he had no answers for. He had no idea where he would go, or for how long, or what he would be doing- all he knew was that he needed to get away from that scene before he lost his temper, though he wasn’t entirely sure if it would have been at Hayner or Axel. He slammed their front door behind himself as hard as he could and then just stood there, breathing heavily as he tried to think of someplace to go before he froze. He really should have stopped to grab his coat. 

_I can think of a way to warm you up,_ Axel hummed in his head, and Roxas wanted to strangle the insufferable blockhead. Then he realized something that made him freeze; he hadn’t thought anything to Axel that would let the man know that he had left his home, or that he was cold. 

_How...did you know that I was cold? _Roxas asked slowly, fearful of the answer. There was a long beat of silence before the voice in his head returned, sounding sheepish. 

_Don’t be mad,_ he beseeched, and that alone made Roxas’s hackles rise. He began walking with no real goal in mind, hugging himself for warmth. _I didn’t even know I could do it until last night._

_Do what? _Roxas ground out. He was torn between irritation and curiosity. 

_Well, _Axel hummed, sounding like he would rather not divulge his secret, _you see, I sorta found out that if I close my eyes, focus on you REALLY hard...I can seewhatyou’reseeing? _ The end of his thought came so fast that it took Roxas’s brain a second to catch up, and when it did... 

_WHAT? _Roxas yelped, suddenly feeling very exposed. It was one thing to have a voice visiting his head, but it was entirely another to know that someone could be watching what he was at any time. 

_Before you freak out, _Axel began hastily, cutting into Roxas’s racing thoughts, _try it. Please? See if you can see my side._ Curiosity flared, overshadowing everything else for a moment. An insight to the person behind the voice? To see what he saw? Roxas looked around himself, spotting a coffee shop ahead a little ways. He could go there, get warm, get a seat... 

_Okay, _the blonde answered Axel cautiously. _ I’ll give it a shot. Gimme a minute to get somewhere I can sit and I’ll do it._

——- 

Roxas entered the coffee shop, frowning at the voice in his head. Axel was back to nitpicking how Hayner and Seifer has been acting, and it was getting under his skin. The worst part was, he was frustrated because Axel was hitting closer to home than he realized. 

_I’m just saying, I don’t get that close to someone unless I’m interested in them. I’d get that close to you, though. _ The end came out as a seductive purr, and a shiver rolled involuntarily down Roxas’s spine. He quickly tried to steer his thoughts in the other direction; he had a BOYFRIEND. Who he lived with, shared money with, shared friends with...was tied to in so many ways. Who he’d cheated on, sort of. Who might also be cheating on him. It was too much. He got into the shop and to the register on auto pilot and then he was faced with an expectant barista. Both his and Axel’s voices wove together as they ordered the drink in unison. 

_“Large vanilla chai tea latte,”_ they both intoned, and the barista nodded. Axel laughed in his head as he waited for the drink to be called, and all too soon he was seated alone at a table in the corner, hands folded in front of him on the small table. 

_Now what? _he asked Axel, tapping a thumb against the table. Axel snorted. 

_It’s not an exact thing, Roxy. I just closed my eyes, listened to you really hard, and then...I saw through your eyes, I guess. _Roxas grumbled and blushed; if Axel had found out about this ability last night, he could imagine what Axel had seen. Trying to ignore his embarrassment, Roxas closed his eyes firmly. _There ya go, _Axel encouraged, and Roxas tried to think of nothing else besides that smooth, familiar voice. _Be here with me. Just...follow my voice. _He laughed a little, and the sound further pulled Roxas in. Suddenly, eyes blinked open, but instead of a table at a coffee shop, he saw a coffee table with an ash tray and a bong in front of him. Long, thin hands were reaching for the weed but froze momentarily. _Are you here?_

_Wow, _Roxas breathed, trying to take in every detail of the room that he could see._ This is new. _The room was only dimly lit, with the noise of a TV playing somewhere out of sight, and the hands resumed the task of picking up the bong. 

_Hey, welcome to my home, Roxy. _ Axel sounded almost smug in Roxas’s head as he lifted the weed and took a hit. There were artworks hung on the wall in front of them, and empty beer cans littered most of the flat surfaces Roxas could see in Axel’s vision. It was...oddly comforting. Axel was letting him see the place as it was, without hiding anything. The bong was returned to the table, followed by a pair of huge converse as Axel stretched his lanky legs up to rest his feet on the surface. _Now you can pop in whenever you want; we’re even. _ Roxas wanted to see more than the limited view in his field of vision, and suddenly Axel obliged him, scanning his eyes slowly from one side of the room to the other. Well-worn black leather couches hugged the walls, and a bookshelf sagged under its weight of games, DVDs, shabby looking books, and beer cans. A large TV stood on one side playing some cartoon quietly, and underneath the stand housed several different consoles. It was nice, comfortable rather than meticulously tidy like Hayner preferred for their place to be, and Roxas found himself wishing he were somewhere like that rather than a coffee shop or even in his own living room. 

_I like it, _he finally announced, and Axel hummed happily in his head. 

_Wish I could show you the bedroom in person, _ he murmured lowly, and again Roxas felt himself heat up. 

_Axel, that’s not happening. I have a boyfriend, we share everything; our lives and friends and...what we did last night...I shouldn’t have done that. _Roxas gritted his teeth as he sent the thought. He was a coward. Was maintaining his unhappy status quo better than seeking out something exciting and new? The analytical part of his brain immediately reminded him of the cost of a hotel, a new apartment, new things that had been shared like a bed and furniture...it was way beyond what his meager paycheck would cover. 

_Come on, Rox, you don’t mean that, _Axel tried to reason in his mind. _We didn’t DO anything. You’ve never even seen me. _Roxas winced at that, before an idea crept into his head that he couldn’t shake before he blurted it out, so to speak. 

_Show yourself, _he demanded,_ I’m dying to meet you. _ Axel snorted, taking it as a joke, but Roxas remained silent. That was the answer, the test he was giving the unexpected man. He wasn’t going to flush his life down the toilet for an imaginary relationship with a voice in his head. This had to be real- REALLY real- if he were going to do something to change his situation. The silence drew on until finally, Axel broke it with a loud groan. 

_Rox, no. Something else, we can talk, but...that’s my last card. I don’t wanna give that up just yet. _Hurt flared in his chest before he stomped the feeling down hard, and then frustration filled its vacant place. Axel knew everything about his life, knew what Roxas looked like and what his home looked like and had heard the literal thoughts in his head, but was too chickenshit to just go stand in front of a mirror? 

_You’re asking me to ruin my own life, but you won’t even let me see what you look like? _Roxas’s defensive reaction was to lash out, and here he was showing that off like a champ. He stood up, blinking hard as he opened his eyes before snatching up his cup and beginning to walk home. _That’s the least you could do, especially considering how much of me YOU’VE seen. _Roxas staved off the brisk breeze by hugging his drink close to him as he stomped along. 

_Okay, but it’s like...that’s the only thing keeping you from finding me and telling me off for being in your ear this whole time. I don’t want to lose talking to you, Rox, I really like-_

_Don’t finish that thought, _Roxas growled. Leaving Hayner would destroy the very foundation of his life right now. He wasn’t even sure if that was what he wanted. If Axel wasn’t going to budge, neither would he. He’d made it home quickly, though the tense silence between them seemed to last for a long time. Just before he put his hand on the doorknob, Axel spoke up. 

_I’m a little afraid, honestly. I’m not gonna throw away the little we- oh. Shit. _Roxas had pushed open the door while Axel had been talking and at nearly the same time, the scene before him registered to them both. Seifer’s back was to him, stupid white coat trembling with his motions as he thrust-Roxas was frozen for a second, but Hayner’s voice broke through his paralysis. 

“GODS yes, this is what I’ve been needing!” Hayner’s shout had Roxas seeing red. He slammed the door behind him as he walked quickly towards their shared bedroom. He was purposefully looking anywhere but his couch, but he knew they’d frozen as even the sound of breathing had stopped. He’d fix that. 

“Oh, don’t mind me!” he shouted loudly as he made it to the door and began shoving everything he needed into his backpack on the floor. “I’ll be leaving as soon as I get my shit together.” 

_Don’t forget a coat,_ Axel sent quietly, but even the kind gesture got under the blonde’s skin. He grabbed one, but spitefully shoved it into his bag with everything else. 

_Get out of my head, _he snarled, jamming a fistful of clothes into the overstuffed backpack, and then scanned the room once more. He was leaving so much, but he could come get it some other time. He threw his bag onto wa shoulder and stormed back towards the front door wordlessly, still refusing to look even slightly in the direction of the couch. 

_Fuck him. Both of them. _Axel was growling in his mind, and he couldn’t breathe with how overwhelmed he suddenly felt. He opened his mouth just before he reached the door, but snapped it closed, wrenched the door open, and stepped out of the place that was no longer his home. _You’re better off, Roxas, that dirtbag didn’t-_

_You’re ruining my life,_ Roxas hissed, cutting off the voice. _Everything is messed up and I’m fucking homeless. You’ve done enough. Go away. _Anger, hurt, resentment, vindication, fear...they knotted in his chest, and he couldn’t stand it. Axel’s tone was soothing as he tried to comfort Roxas, but the blonde had had enough. 

_I’m so sorr-_ the voice began, and Roxas lost it. 

_No, I want you OUT. Go AWAY, Axel. Leave. Me. ALONE! _As Roxas screamed the thoughts, he pictured that window between them again, and imagined slamming it shut so hard that it shattered, that the very wall collapsed and disintegrated and disappeared. He was filled with a deep, hollow agony for a split second, and then it was gone. Axel was gone, too, hopefully having finally gotten the message. He needed the space desperately, and was grateful to let the sound of his crunching footsteps fill his mind as he walked. After just a few minutes, he broke down and took off his backpack to put on the coat he’d been spitefully ignoring; his pride hoped Axel wasn’t watching as he gave in. He walked for hours with no real goal in mind, not wanting to even fully admit or acknowledge what had happened. Just the crunch of his shoes crushing dried out leaves as he walked and walked. He walked through lunchtime and only realized he should start looking for somewhere to be when his stomach reminded him loudly that the coffee he’d had earlier was the last thing he’d consumed. He sighed, mildly surprised Axel had left him alone for so long, and pulled out his phone. He didn’t really want to call one of their mutual friends, but he didn’t have any other real opinions besides a hotel, which he would only resort to if necessary; money was going to be extremely tight for him for a while. Scrolling through his contacts, he pretended he didn’t already know exactly who he would call, but with another sigh finally accepted it and hit the call button. Olette picked up immediately. 

“Come over, Roxas. I’ve been waiting for you to call. You’re welcome for as long as you like.” Roxas choked in unshed tears that suddenly closed his throat, and he had to work hard to get words out around it. 

“Thanks, Olette. I’ll be by soon.” He hung up before the damn tears could get out and turned, heading the opposite direction towards Olette and Pence’s place. And thought over everything that had happened. Sadly enough, though, despite being hurt and scared about what the future would be like, he mostly felt like a giant asshole for screaming at Axel. He’d only been trying to help, despite his bullheaded approach. Axel hadn’t deserved to be shoved away like that. Tentatively, he reached out internally for the voice. 

_Axel? I’m sorry. I was a total dick._ He waited, hoping Axel wouldn’t be far too angry, but...nothing._ I know I messed up. You didn’t do anything wrong, I was just upset._ He waited for a while longer, feeling uneasy. _Axel?_

Roxas looked around; there was no one on the stretch of sidewalk he was walking down. It was pretty smooth, unbroken for a good stretch- if he just kept walking, he could probably afford to close his eyes for a minute. The blonde focused hard on the place in his head where Axel’s voice usually was, but still there was nothing. He remembered the smooth, velvety cadence, the way the words seemed to caress him, the details about Axel’s apartment, but...more nothing. Roxas froze, almost falling to his knees with the sudden weight of what had happened. He had screamed at Axel, despite having grown to be extremely fond of the voice and the man behind it. He’d told Axel in no uncertain terms to get out of his head. He’d slammed the window. 

Axel was gone.


	4. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks, as always, to CatzRko0L for reading for me ❤️🙏

Days went by, and Axel did not return. Roxas settled into living on Olette and Pence’s couch- they’d talked it over and offered to let him stay until he’d saved up enough to get a new apartment. Olette told him she knew it was only a matter of time before Hayner started cheating on him; he’d told her and Pence that he wasn’t happy and wanted to spend more time with Seifer because they enjoyed each other’s company. Roxas picked up all the extra shifts his work would allow and filled any other free time he had diligently focusing on his schoolwork; it did nothing to alleviate the loss he felt after sharing his own head for so long. Or the chaos his life had fallen into. 

A week went by, then two. Still, Axel did not return. Roxas found an apartment that was not the most respectable or well-kept place he’d ever had, but was cheap enough that he could put down the down payment and first month’s rent soon. Olette, the sweetheart, had been combing garage sales and online marketplaces for cheap, decent furniture, and there was a growing area in their garage she was filling with her purchases. She insisted that nothing she had bought needed to be repaid by Roxas, claiming that they were going to be his Christmas presents as the holidays were fast approaching. That also meant the semester was winding down, and Roxas had a lot more studying to occupy himself with. And still, Roxas was wracked with guilt and grief over the loss of a man he’d never even seen but who had become integral in his life. 

Three weeks, four. The semester ended much to everyone’s relief, and Roxas finally got a new lease and a set of keys; he was proud he’d finally managed it. He hadn’t been single and taking care of only himself for years, and it was a big adjustment for him. Utilities were turned on, and Olette and Pence helped him move. Pence even went back to the apartment Hayner still occupied with a list from Roxas and retrieved most of his valuable or sentimental items and the rest of his clothes; Roxas had at first just purchased new clothes to avoid having to face Hayner, and had blocked his number immediately upon moving in with his friends. He was trying hard to move on from everything that had happened, and felt like he had in respect to Hayner and adjusting to being on his own, but...he still missed Axel, still wondered how he was and if he hated Roxas for what the blonde had done. He must, because he knew what Roxas looked like and how to find him, apparently. That hurt worse than almost anything else. Roxas couldn’t help but listen for the familiar voice everywhere he went, though he never heard it. 

Roxas went out with Olette and Pence. He tried to be fun, tried not to let loneliness choke him and swallow him completely, but he didn’t like sleeping alone. He didn’t like the silence in his apartment. Classes ending had only enhanced the feeling, and he was definitely not looking forward to spending Christmas alone. Olette and Pence would be visiting family, and wouldn’t be back until after New Year’s. The more storefronts began to be decorated, and the more retail workers that began parting with best wishes for the upcoming holidays, the more Roxas considered hiding in his apartment and never coming out again. The days grew colder, and Roxas felt himself growing numb from the inside out. 

——- 

It was two days until Christmas, and Roxas was running late. He’d taken a shift at work in the morning as a last-minute favor to a coworker, but that meant that he was only just getting off the clock at four in the afternoon, and the local animal shelter closed at five and would stay closed for adoptions until after the holidays. Roxas had decided to finally do something about the crippling loneliness but knew he wouldn’t have the time to give to a dog, so he’d decided to get himself a cat for Christmas. 

He decided an older cat would be better than a kitten, so he wouldn’t have to worry about coming home to a huge mess or worry that he wasn’t giving a little baby the time it would need. A cat, though, would be self-sufficient enough to leave at home while he was at work or school and wouldn’t need to be taken out for walks, but would be another living being for him to look forward to seeing at the end of each day and would grant him some company over the holidays. The shelter was the obvious choice, and would let him end someone else’s loneliness, too. 

He sped, he yelled inaudibly at slow-moving cars, he wove through traffic, and he may have even run a red light, but he made it to the shelter by five thirty-seven. Roxas hoped that would give him enough time to pick out just the right cat for the lifestyle he now led. He power walked through the doors and to a petite raven-haired girl sitting behind a desk up front. 

“Sorry to come so close to closing, but could I take a look at the cats?” he asked politely, hoping she wouldn’t turn him away. Luckily for him, she beamed up at him brightly, springing to her feet and walking around the desk towards him. 

“Don’t worry at all! And of course you can, I’ll take you over there really quick.” She led him off to the right, and they followed cat silhouettes painted onto the walls down a hall and to a large room lined with cages. “The kittens are over here on the left, older cats all the way to the right, and the younger cats are all along the middle there. Every cage has a card with some brief notes about their personality.” The girl gave him a gentle nudge forward towards the kennels. “I’ve got some paperwork to finish up, but I’ll send someone your way as soon as one of our guys is available.” Roxas nodded, and the tiny woman disappeared, leaving the blonde alone with the room full of felines. He walked along the back row, reading over the little cards while greeting the cats behind bars. At one point, he heard the doors open and close, but he was too busy trying to pet a large, short haired black cat that was rubbing against its enclosure to take notice. That is, until a voice sounded off from behind and slightly above him. 

“He’s friendly, alright, but that’s not the guy for you.” Roxas froze, muscles locking up in shock, as a voice smooth as silk and sexy as fuck rolled through the air. It couldn’t be. It _couldn’t _be, he was finally actually losing it. Rather than turning to face the owner of the voice, he gave the cat a few more scratches. 

“Why not? I think he likes me,” Roxas asked, voice coming out rough and strained. Maybe, if he heard it again, he would hear their real voice rather than the one he longed to be hearing instead. 

“Yeah, but he’s not the one you’re taking home with you. The one you’re looking for is over here.” It was the same familiar purr that hummed from just over his shoulder, and a long, thin hand pointed to their right, about three cages down. Still afraid to break his fantasy, Roxas sidestepped over to the indicated kennel without looking behind him and felt his eyes widen in surprise. 

Inside the cage was a beautiful long-haired cat with a coat color somewhere in between ‘butterscotch’ and ‘butter,’ with eyes almost exactly the same shade of blue as Roxas’s own. She was breathtaking; it was love at first sight. She stood up immediately and curiously approached Roxas, giving his fingertip a tentative lick after sniffing it when it was presented to her. Her card listed that she was calm, sweet, sometimes playful, and liked naps in front of windows. 

“She’s perfect,” he breathed softly, scratching under her chin with a finger and delighting in the purr it earned him. A low chuckle sounded behind him, and he felt his heartbeat quicken. It couldn’t be Axel. He was letting his thoughts run wild, letting himself get hopeful. “What’s her name?” he asked the stranger, trying to focus only on the cat that hopefully would soon be his. A beautiful, joyous laugh sounded behind him, and an arm reached around him to unlock the cage’s door. 

“She’s waiting for her real name, but I gave her a nickname for while she waits. Read her collar.” With trembling fingers, the blonde reached in and stroked her long fur away from the paper shelter collar that indicated name and ID number for each cat. There, written boldly in sharpie, it read ‘Roxas’s Sunshine.’ His heart stopped. “I knew she was meant for you as soon as I saw her. She was going to be an apology present, for when I finally got the nerve to talk to you in person. You’re kinda forcing my hand here, Roxy.” The illusion shattered, and Roxas spun around. 

The man standing behind him was tall, far taller than Roxas, and was wearing khaki pants and a green shirt, which appeared to be the shelter uniform. He had long, wild red hair that spiked around his shoulders, and two black tattoos underneath his eyes, and even though he’d never seen that face in his life, he knew the man in his heart. 

_“AXEL,” _he choked, tripping as he tried to step forward and falling into Axel’s outstretched arms. He hugged the man fiercely, and was painfully grateful to feel Axel holding him just as tightly. “I’m so, so sorry, and I-“ Axel shook his head, interrupting Roxas’s long-held apology. 

“No, I deserved it. It would suck to feel like you couldn’t get some time alone in your own head, I was overstepping and I just didn’t-“ Then it was Roxas interrupting him, leaning back slightly to meet Axel’s stunning, bright green eyes. 

“You were trying to help and I was being a dick and I’ve been waiting this whole time to tell you.” Axel met his gaze with a stunned look of his own. 

“You...have?” Axel asked incredulously before a smirk slowly spread across his lips. “Roxy, did you miss me?” Axel fluttered his eyelashes at the blonde and Roxas felt butterflies erupt in his stomach in response; the man was ridiculously good-looking. He punched Axel gently on the bicep as he stepped back. 

“Maybe a little,” he admitted grudgingly, looking down as he felt something rub against the back of his legs. The cat- _his _cat, had leapt from her cage to come rub against Roxas, purring loudly as she wove herself around his legs. “Hey Sunny.” 

“Did you end up losing the fucker?” Axel’s quiet question brought Roxas’s eyes back up sharply to see the redhead looking pointedly down at the cat. He sounded sad, but maybe also a touch hopeful? Roxas let a smile spread across his face as he reached out for the man again, grabbing Axel’s shirt and gently pulling the man towards himself. Another tug, combined with Roxas stretching up onto his tiptoes, and he brought their lips together in what quickly became a heated kiss. When they broke apart, he chuckled. 

“Wanna come see my new place?” he invited suggestively, and Axel’s lips returning to his was all the answer he needed. 

——- 

the end

**Author's Note:**

> Like what you see here? I’ve got more!
> 
> Finished:  
There’s An App For That  
Into The Unknown  
Discord Required  
In progress:  
Angel With A Shotgun  
Got It Memorized?  
A Pirate’s Life For Me  
Reddit Nosleep Thread
> 
> Plus more to come! ❤️


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